The 10 Best Specialized Bikes You Can Buy Right Now

Specialized’s history is wrapped in innovation. While that line also fuels a lot of the company’s marketing, it also holds up. But before the innovation, there was a bike trailer. The company started in 1974 when Mike Sinyard sold his VW Microbus for $1,500 and used most of that money to buy Italian bike parts coveted by roadies in California. He stashed them in a bike trailer and pedaled around from store to store.

Soon after, came the first original Specialized product, a road tire, released in 1976, because Sinyard thought the tire was the single piece of equipment your ride depended on the most, and he was dissatisfied with the options on the market. Then, after he and frame builder Tim Neenan spent a couple of years making road frames, Specialized turned its attention to the fledgling niche of mountain biking in 1981 and produced the first Stumpjumper. It wasn’t the first mountain bike on the market, but it was the first to be mass-produced, which helped introduce the new sport to thousands of cyclists.

“From the very beginning, Specialized has been about building bikes and gear that solve a problem and fill a need,” says Mark Cote, the brand’s global marketing manager. “That’s what still drives us today.”

Decades of Innovation

The 44-year history of Specialized has seen a lot of innovation that has solved plenty of problems for cyclists, even if cyclists didn’t know they had a problem. In 1993, it built a fully active, independent suspension frame with the FSR, using the four-bar Horst-Link system. Seven years later it introduced full suspension to the cross country crowd with the S-Works FSR XC—the same basic design that the bikes use today. In 1999, it got into “Body Geometry” to try to figure out how to make a comfortable saddle. It introduced the Brain, an intelligent shock technology, in 2003 with the S-Works Epic. And five years ago, it developed the “Win” tunnel with the help of NASA engineers to try and perfect the aerodynamics of its bikes.

The Latest From the Brand

Today, Specialized has a hand in every aspect of the two-wheeled world, from commuter e-bikes to aerodynamic road bikes, and there’s no sign that the company’s devotion to innovation is slowing down. Its headtube shock, the FutureShock, is being placed on more road and adventure models. Meanwhile, it purchased fit system Retül that uses infrared mapping to help its retailers put you on the perfect saddle and frame. On some bikes, the integrated SWAT storage system lets you store ride essentials without wearing a backpack, or filling pockets. And its road bikes continue to before lighter, stronger, and more slippery in the wind.

The brand’s size, domination of some speciality retailer's floor space, and its aggressive defense of patents (sometimes at the cost of smaller, revered brands) has lost it some fans. But it’s hard to argue with the quality and performance of its top bikes. We’ve awarded several of its models, including the Tarmac, Roubaix, Turbo Levo, and Epic, among others, Editors' Choice bikes below.

Check out the complete list of our 10 favorite bikes from Specialized below.

Roubaix Comp-Ultegra Di2

The Roubaix is a performance-oriented machine, and it’s the bike that Peter Sagan used to win the 2018 Paris-Roubaix. So, it’s fast. But it’s tailored to handle the notoriously rough roads of that same race, so it’s really an adventure bike introduced before the advent of adventure bikes. And the Roubaix has only gotten more adventure-oriented over the years, thanks to the incorporation of the Future Shock head tube suspension and disc brakes. We named the Comp-Ultegra Di2 one of our favorite road bikes of 2018.

Allez Elite

You want versatility when you’re buying a road bike, and the Allez Elite has versatility in spades, which makes sense when you consider that it’s Specialized’s original road bike. It has eyelets for racks for when you want to tour (or carry groceries), an aluminum frame to keep the cost down and durability up, Shimano 105 drivetrain with a wide range of gears, and room for 28mm tires. It has a geometry inspired by the speedy Tarmac, but with a slightly more upright positioning for longer rides. It’s stiff and snappy, smooth and comfy, and it earned a 2018 Editor’s Choice award because of the “performance per dollar” package it offers.

S-Works Tarmac

Full ReviewLearn MorePrice: $11,000 The right bike for: Riders looking for a high-end all-around race bike

Specialized

Speaking of 2018 Editor’s Choice awards, the S-Works Tarmac pulled down the honors this year because the bike continues to get better with every iteration. The Tarmac already has a lot of hardware to its name (many World Tour race wins), but the latest version uses a new carbon that sheds 200 grams off the previous model and an updated geometry based on Specialized’s Retül data. It’s stiff and responsive, superbly light, and the most aerodynamic bike in Specialized’s quiver.

Turbo Levo Comp

Remember when Cote was talking about “fun?” This bike is what he was talking about. The brand new Turbo Levo was built around the new Stumpjumper with a motor, battery, and integrated control system that’s lighter, smaller, and more efficient than anything Specialized has used in the past. It’s built out with burly 27.5-inch wheels and big 2.8-inch tires, as well as 150mm of travel in the front and 135mm in the back so it can tackle the toughest trails. We named the Turbo Levo FSR Comp as one of our favorite e-bikes in 2018 because it’s so easy to forget it has a motor when you’re riding it.

Epic Comp Carbon

Learn MorePrice: $4,220 The right bike for: Cross-country racers who want an even lighter bike

Specialized

One of Specialized's longest-running mountain bikes, the Epic has been a leading full-suspension XC Race bike for decades. This year, Specialized put the bike on a diet and this version drop 525 grams from last year’s build. And yet, it’s still more fun to ride than previous versions, thanks to a longer reach, full dropper post, slack head angle, and a custom offset, 42mm fork that handles like a Ferrari in the corners. Put it all together and you’ve got a bike that earned a spot on our list of the best mountain bikes of 2018.

Diverge Expert

Learn MorePrice: $5,000 The right bike for: An award winner that defies being boxed into just one category.

Specialized

The Diverge Expert won a 2018 Editor’s Choice award in the road bike category, but we’re using the term “road” loosely here. This is an adventure bike if there ever was an adventure bike, thanks to the Future Shock that adds 20mm of suspension to the headtube, a dropper post for bumpy descents, and a frame that can handle 47mm wide tires. We’ve had it on smooth pavement and singletrack, and it performs well on each. You also get SWAT storage, triple bottle mounts, and eyelets for racks; it’s a gravel bike, a road bike, and a bikepacking machine.

Chisel Expert

This fun, fast bike might be affordable but it’s not watered-down beginner’s model. The Chisel can satisfy a range of riders, from the new to the race-savvy. Stacked with an aluminum frame that’s stiff and snappy, it borrows geometry from Specialized’s racy cross-country pedigree but with a longer reach and slack head tube so it’s better suited for rough terrains. The Chisel is less expensive than many other Specialized offerings, which may make it a popular option among beginners, but this is a bike that’ll likely be enjoyable well after you’ve mastered your local trails.

Specialized CruX Elite X1

The CruX Elite dropped some weight in the off-season (400 grams lighter than the last version) when Specialized incorporated “Rider-First Engineered” tech that allowed it to use size-specific tubes on the frame. It’s light and stiff, but built to take a beating with Royal SLX 24 rims, tubeless-ready tires, and an American-style cross geometry that lowers the center of gravity. It’s a moderately-priced race bike, under 19 pounds (which is appreciated when you’re shouldering it over barriers), and it made the list of our favorite ‘cross bikes of 2018.

Specialized Turbo Como 5.0

A powerful e-bike with graceful good looks, the Turbo Como 5.0 takes a beach cruiser aesthetic and revs it up with an integrated motor for smooth and silent pedal assist that puts the “cruise” back in cruiser. The ride is super cush thanks to the 2.3-inch tires, while a rack and fenders make it an errand-running beast.

Specialized S-Works Venge

The key to making faster road bikes in 2018 is three words: aerodynamics, aerodynamics, aerodynamics. That’s why Specialized built its Win Tunnel and that’s why it has completely overhauled its most successful aero bike, the Venge. It is now lighter, more responsive, and it features a streamlined profile that’s easier to work on and faster to ride. This version comes with Shimano’s electronic Dura Ace drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, so you get precise shifting and powerful braking to match every bit of the frame’s performance.

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